1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to occlusion devices and methods of use thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to balloon occlusion devices for performing cardiac bypass or other vascular procedures.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Coronary artery diseases are often caused by atherosclerosis or narrowing of the small arteries between the aorta and the heart muscles. There are several ways to provide blood blow around occluded segments of arteries or veins, however, the known methods commonly cause a large amount of trauma to the patient. One method is to perform an "open heart surgery," which involves cracking open the chest and exposing the heart and treating the vessel directly. However, the large incision and surgically cut sternum take a long time to heal.
In the bypass operation, a section of the saphenous vein, or a suitable substitute, is grafted, usually between the ascending aorta just above the heart and one or more of the coronary arteries beyond the points of blockage. The bypass operation is performed with the patient connected to a heart-lung machine and the heart is stopped. Because the heart is stopped, the heart-lung bypass can damage blood cells. Additionally, the patient's internal body temperature is reduced while on a heart-lung bypass to reduce basil metabolism and then the body temperature is increased to normal when the procedure is over. This thermal change to a person's body can cause damage to the intestinal track as well as causing additional stress to the patient.
If the patient is not placed on a heart-lung bypass, the aorta is typically partially clamped along its axis to create an area of blood stasis and a small channel for blood flow. However, clamping the aorta can cause injury to the aorta and can also cause plaque formations to break off into the blood stream and cause severe disorders such as strokes and emboli.
Sometimes, occlusion balloons are inserted through the femoral artery up to the blood vessel to be occluded. Both clamps and existing occlusion devices commonly cause damage to the internal blood vessel walls and they introduce plaque into the patient's blood stream. Existing balloons are also likely to move longitudinally along the catheter while in the blood vessel, and thus are likely to move into the heart or interfere with blood flow.